Local mortgages seem at a plateau

Is lending by the county's biggest banks at its new normal in the wake of deeper government scrutiny and a post-recession swath of damaged credit?

For the last three months, the largest lenders' total loans have hovered at the 680 mark: 688 in December, 682 in January and 686 in February, according to a Herald-Tribune analysis of court records.

Big San Francisco-based Wells Fargo Co. has led the pack so far this year, but JPMorgan Chase gave chase last month, with 127 loans -- the same number as its California-based rival.

Meanwhile, the largest non-bank mortgage companies saw a sharp drop in the number of mortgages they originated last month.

Among banks, the 10 largest issued $117.6 million last month, compared with $123 million in January.

Third behind Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase in dollar value of mortgages was Quicken Loans with 91 valued at $15.5 million. Next was SunTrust with 89 valued at $14.7 million. Fifth was Bank of America, with 88 loans valued at $14.2 million.

In February, Sarasota County's largest non-bank mortgage companies made 174 loans totaling $32.5 million, a 21 percent drop in the number of originations and a 24 percent decline in the dollar value from the previous month, court records show.